Arsenal and Bayern Munich are reportedly in talks over a shock swap deal involving Corentin Tolisso and Hector Bellerin.
According to Calciomercato, as relayed by TuttoJuve, Bayern Munich and Arsenal are on the verge of reaching an agreement over a swap deal. The German champions have apparently offered 27-year-old French international Corentin Tolisso to the Premier League giants in exchange for Hector Bellerin moving the other way around.
It appears to be a smart maneuver from the Bavarian club, who are in the market for Marcel Sabitzer. But in order to sign the RB Leipzig midfielder, they need to offload one of the fringe players, with Tolisso emerging as an ideal option. The Frenchman was linked with a move to Juventus as well, but it seems Arsenal are currently the likeliest destination.
Formerly of Lyon, Tolisso has had a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich since joining the club in 2017. His career in Germany has been marred by injuries while the midfielder has had to play second fiddle to the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka for the majority of the four years.
As such, Bayern are intent on offloading the 27-year-old, who should be a direct replacement for Dani Ceballos at Arsenal. It is no secret that the Gunners are in the market for a new midfielder this summer, with Tolisso’s former Lyon teammate Houssem Aouar emerging as one of the options.
On the flip side, the club is keen on offloading Hector Bellerin. The Spaniard has fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta and is not included in the Arsenal manager’s plans, especially after the summer arrival of Ben White, who can operate as a right-back and a right sided centre-back.
On the contrary, Bayern Munich are actively searching for a new right-back in the market. They didn’t have much success with January investment Bouna Sarr while Niklas Sule has had to deal with fitness problems lately. The recent injury to Benjamin Pavard has further accentuated the need for a new face in the defensive unit.
Bellerin fits the bill perfectly due to his technical abilities and experience at the highest level of football. His valuation of €25 million matches Tolisso’s price tag as well, meaning the move may not be disadvantageous for Arsenal either.
However, it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman opts to join the Emirates due to the club’s lack of participation in European football this season. The Gunners haven’t had much luck with the pursuit of Bernardo Silva, unfortunately, so the options are running out for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal as we brace ourselves for the start of the new season.
